Being on your “A” game is critical for continued success in this modern world. We all have good intentions at the start of the day, but by the time we get through our emails and texts, we’re already close to spent. Then there’s all of this ongoing questions that come our way, phone calls, and other distractions that it becomes a miracle just to get one task done instead of the initial plans we have in place at the start of the day.

5 simple changes in how the day is approached can help each person perform at their peak more consistently. Let’s take a look!

#1. Prioritize By Setting 3 Top Goals

There are so many demands in life today that without any prioritization, nothing ultimately gets done. By setting three top goals to accomplish by the end of the day, what you’re really doing is setting a deadline for yourself. Deadlines spur motivation and that motivation enhances the focus of these three specific areas. Set more than three goals and you’ll change the foundation of your thinking and not work as efficiently. Set fewer and you might get done too soon… and end up getting nothing else done.

#2. You Don’t Have To Go At 100% All the Time

Your ability to save energy throughout the day means you’ll be able to put a consistent amount of resources to projects throughout the day instead of heavy spurts in the morning… and nothing in the afternoon. Every action takes energy as well, so turn off your phones and leave your tablets alone. Every switch of attention you make robs you of energy that could go into something more productive than a friend’s latest Facebook status.

#3. Create Time Where You Just Think

Everyone needs time for themselves every day, but that time is often the first thing that is sacrificed. It’s so easy to do too: the kids need help with homework, the boss has an emergency project for Saturday, and your buddies want to get together to play poker. Sometimes you’ve just got to disconnect and create time for yourself where you can just be alone with your thoughts and creativity.

#4. Stop With the Multitasking

98% of the human brains on this planet have the ability to do just one conscious thing at a time. We all like to think we’re part of the 2% of multitasking brains on the planet, but there’s a really good chance that we’re part of the 98% instead. Not only does this mean that multitasking robs us of energy, but it leads to decreased attention to details, poor performances, and ultimately more mistakes. Don’t do two things at the same time. Do one thing, then do the other, and you’ll still be able to beat the deadline.

#5. Carve Out Time

Make time for yourself. Put it into your schedule so you have real time to rest! The more time you can switch off from the connected world, the greater the insights you’re bound to have as you rest in this mental silence. Sometimes rest needs to be literal too – a nap can help to rejuvenate focus, especially if the rest from the night before wasn’t so good.

It was one of the classic interview questions from a decade ago: how well do you multitask? A multitasking ability was seen as a classic strength of a quality employee, up there with being a team player and being able to handle constructive criticism. Employers craved people who would want to answer emails, organize the boss’s schedule, and finish their assigned sales presentation all at the same time.

Then a funny thing began to happen… companies that hired with a focus on multitasking began to see drops in productivity. There are always a few people who can effectively multitask, but for most people, a singular focus is a better approach.

Multitasking Robs the Brain of Computing Power

How many times have you told someone that you’ve got to “switch gears” to get back on task with a project? That’s literally what is going on every time you multitask. For the majority of people, their brain focuses on just one task at a time. Now it might be doing different tasks, but the purpose of those tasks is to achieve just one outcome instead of several simultaneous outcomes. If you stay focused, you keep your brain’s computing power at its maximum. If you multitask, you’re switching gears and it takes time for that to happen. Every time you switch between tasks, you’re literally robbing yourself of productive time.

Multitasking Encourages Distractions

Multitasking isn’t just a practice. It’s also a routine! Once people get into the habit of doing multiple things at once, they feel like they must continue to do so in order to stay focused, even if there is only one thing to do at any given time. That’s when distractions begin to creep in. Social media, email, cats and unicorns on the internet – you name it and your brain will crave it. Those distractions will just further rob you of productivity too.

Multitasking Eliminates Creativity

When people are working on multiple tasks at once, the goal is often to get those tasks completed as quickly as possible. When the emphasis is on speed, the emphasis is not on creativity. Those rare few people out there can do multiple creative things at once in a brilliant way, but for the general population that just isn’t the case. The more you can focus on one task at a time, the better the creative output is going to be.

Can Multitasking Habits Be Broken?

Absolutely! Because multitasking is a habit that has been developed, it is a habit that can also be broken. There are a number of different methods that can help eliminate the problem, but at the top of the list is to eliminate social media. Block these websites if necessary so you can stay productive. Pause deliveries from your inbox. Schedule meetings, phone calls, and other necessary distractions outside of your most productive time.

Most importantly, reward yourself when you do a good job. With positive reinforcement, you’ll give yourself the tools you need to block the need to multitask. If you can do that, then you just might see your creativity coming back once again!

Have you been unemployed for awhile in your chosen career and you’re looking for options? Maybe you’re approaching college for the first time and wondering what you should do with your life? Even if you just want a better job than you’ve got now, an IT career fits perfectly into all three categories. Best of all, the IT industry wants you to join the cause and get involved with modern tech. Here’s why!

The IT Industry Needs Talent

Here are two statistics for you to consider at the moment: by the end of the year, almost 1 million IT jobs will remain unfilled in Europe alone because there isn’t enough talent to fill those positions. For people who fit into the 16 to 24 age group who are looking for work, the unemployment rate is nearly 20%, even though every other age group has a declining unemployment rate. As technology continues to take over more aspects of life, IT professionals are going to be in even greater demand.

Simply put, if you switch over to an IT career with the appropriate amount of training, then you’re going to find a job somewhere. Period.

You Can Work Where You Want To Work

Almost every business relies on technology in some way. There’s always going to be those jack-of-all-trades owners that can take care of their IT needs on their own, but most of the time a little help is needed. From the writer who uses Office products to the billion dollar company that focuses on product innovation, IT plays a role in both successes. Your potential in this industry is almost unlimited. You can work for whom you want to work in any field because you’re needed!

Boredom? What Boredom?

With an IT career, there’s always something going on that will keep you active either physically or mentally. It’s a constant problem-solving routine where things are fresh and new because there’s always something different going on. If you love a game of chess, then you’ll love what this industry can provide you for a career. Best of all, every country requires IT professionals. That means you can go anywhere and do virtually anything you want to accomplish in life.

You Change Lives, One Person at a Time

Technology has helped to ease so much suffering in the world today and it’s just getting started! Think about what Facebook has done to connect people together. What has Apple done for communication with their line of products? Looking ahead, there’s 3D printing that could produce viable organs for human transplant, wearable technology, and smart homes will truly become smart because everything will talk with everything else. You could be part of that. You could change lives for the better while earning your paycheck.

Speaking of paychecks, the IT industry is one of the best salaried positions in any industry, especially in an entry-level job. You might not become the richest person in the world, but you could earn a comfortable living that can bring a level of content to life that you may not have right now. There are jobs in the IT industry just waiting to be filled – are you ready to step up to the plate?

Willpower is the foundation of any good, positive choice that is made. Sometimes choices can be hard and willpower might seem like it isn’t around, but that just isn’t true. It just means you may need a little more practice in this skill. That’s right! Willpower is a skill and it can be developed through practice. Then, through that process of development, you may just find that you can achieve anything!

How could practicing willpower daily help improve your life?

Through greater relaxation. Why does stress come about? It often arrives through the form of worry, anxiety, or fear. It might be nice to crash in front of the television for awhile with a pint of triple chocolate fudge ice cream, but that’s not true relaxation. Practice using willpower to actually force yourself to relax! Take a few moments in a quiet room, breathe in deeply with your favorite music, and begin letting the tensions go.

Through better positive self-talk. Self-deprecation when in a public speaking role can help break the ice and get a point across. Self-deprecation in the form of negative self-talk when something doesn’t go the way you expect? That will drain your energy and ambition faster than anything else will! Practice using willpower to tell yourself the positive things you’ve been able to accomplish and you’ll be more likely to stay on the straight and narrow path.

Through proactive decisions. There are always going to be times when the decision to give in will rear its ugly head. When the willpower is strong, not weak, is the time to counteract that issue! Practice using your willpower to proactively make good decisions when you might be in a weaker state down the road so that you can keep going. If you love potato chips, for example, and you’d eat a whole bag and destroy your diet, then use your willpower now not to stock the house with the problematic item.

Through a better knowledge of oneself. One of the common ways people try to practice willpower is through the blocking of problematic thoughts. The problem is that the more a thought is shut out, the more it will keep coming back to haunt you time and time again. Even if it is a negative thought, you can acknowledge its presence without giving that thought validity. You choose your own actions and one of the best is to add meditation to your daily routine. Through meditation, you can begin to control the actions that are associated with bothersome thoughts and keep yourself in a positive mental state more often.

Through tiny, daily successes. Long term goals might seem far off in the distance, but short-term goals are met every day in some way. Instead of focusing on how far away the ultimate achievement is, take a moment at the end of each day to look at the progress you’ve made toward that goal instead. Each step on the straight and narrow path is a goal that has been met and should be celebrated!

With practice, the skill of willpower can help you achieve anything! Start practicing today, even if it is the first time, and you’ll begin to become more resilient to the negative and make consistent, positive choices every day. You can do it!